Chiang Mai Trek: 2-Day National Park Adventure Review

So, are you thinking about checking out Chiang Mai and doing a 2-day, 1-night trek in one of the national parks around that area? A bunch of outfits offer them, yet figuring out if it’s the right move for you can be tricky. This is our report about one we just did, telling you, like, what we saw, what we did, what we ate and if it’s very worthy of your travel bucks.

Picking Your Trekking Crew

That first thing, obviously, is figuring out who you’re going to actually do your hiking with, you know? Very many companies are doing trekking tours right in Chiang Mai, with lots, I mean tons, of variations. A bit cheaper packages may look kinda appealing, that is when you look at just prices. However, you actually might end up in a group that is super big or that includes seeing animal attractions with a kind of questionable care ethic. Reading up about what others say is almost a must, as well as considering going directly with outfits that pour a good deal back to the towns involved and score solid reviews on how they treat, you know, not just the elephants, if any, but also like, all their staff.

We chose a smaller operator that really highlighted the community connection aspect. It, seemingly, meant a somewhat pricier tag up-front. However, understanding the cash is staying more local and less likely going toward exploitation felt totally OK.

Day One: Hiking Begins and Waterfall Views

Day one got going, and it started when we were picked up right at our spot to stay around 8 AM. So we piled into this Songthaew – a sort of covered pick-up shared vehicle – and were whisked off towards the park zone after joining up with a few others going along, too. On the ride, you could tell things were getting greener as we headed into these higher spaces, that is with a noticeably different air as well.

Our head person leading us set a pace that, usually, could be managed just alright by everyone. So this day involved walking near to something like 12 km, which got our blood pumping, alright? Then, after only maybe an hour of twisting dirt tracks between many super towering green things, this view suddenly showed right in front – honestly, so totally impressive. Apparently, we ended up gazing down at a stunning cascade coming off one really large hillside – the pictures almost do not actually cut it if you wanna get across, even a little, of how majestic it strikes you at the time. It was like Mother Nature showing some fancy art or something.

After the spot with the cascading water, there came some really steamy uphill parts along trails cutting right between many plants, huge, covering every place. So these parts definitely were strenuous yet worth keeping up, you know?

Lunch with a View

At about lunchtime, they had prepared an incredible spread waiting already by another breathtaking vista right next to a stream. Very fresh dishes, with just local ingredients – all set out as you sit literally surrounded by nature’s sounds going on full-blast. The guide pointed out all sorts of native greens going into our salads or being used for garnishes, that is very helpful since the knowledge they had about all this flora gave an additional feel that we had gotten closer than only seeing what meets most eyes in these habitats we hiked through.

After eating and resting some, the afternoon included some more miles getting covered between spaces with different densities in trees. In some respects, a kind of thick, leafy darkness engulfed things while sometimes broad sunshine opened up between spaces around overlooks presenting panoramas spanning unbelievably across miles and valleys way off afar. Seriously, having moments that peaceful is exactly what makes doing multi-day treks worthwhile above just quicker “snapshot” excursions; you begin taking time processing where you find yourself placed right within bigger settings occurring slowly around things, generally.

Experiencing Village Life

As the later sunlight shifted some colors coming through breaks around where the forest thinned slightly toward open agricultural spaces, people made way slowly to the village where they intended for us to hang that night. So the locale involved basic houses made mainly with bamboo and thatch around the sides, all nestled right at where slopes give approach. Getting introduced around felt both educational, too, and a chance simply in recognizing more connection between each other on similar planets regardless some cultural gaps staying present at starting meeting up; lots smiled and happily welcomed everybody onward to a community central sort of hut.

Lodging here had its rustic element – simple beds inside their communal quarters there provided basic sleep, yet completely fitting because that meant more funds staying exactly into the villages through bookings instead being spent elsewhere by the operating organizations alone necessarily through outsourcing accommodations separately. During these evenings too someone had played guitar or locals danced alongside that, seemingly, produced moments getting tourists alongside their temporary neighborhood right where cultures mixed easily for just minutes; simply special feels!

Day Two: Coffee, Culture, and Goodbyes

Okay, waking with the sounds of roosters absolutely guarantees your brain snaps awake by like 6:00 am, still, so it’s hard at feeling annoyed at those silly feathered dudes since your eyes could take pleasure looking across unbelievably green expanses all around you during those dawning moments.

Soon people got going sharing breakfasts together from the host town before somebody escorted us for checking closer at local-led ways around handling their crops on various terrains found close across their properties.

Coffee Plantation Visit

Then somebody next directed our attention pointing away toward distant slope side displaying neatly-layered coffee cultivations rising into altitude over there – basically essential source when seeking understand local incomes across mountain people throughout that locale precisely. I actually tried just sampled roasted berries right through community processes – flavors jumped above supermarket variants due fresh harvest.

Return Hike

Hiking followed for approximately two plus hours back downhill toward closer pickup positioning nearby river crossings around some wide rocky parts, too – some little slick at given portions indeed nevertheless nothing seriously threatening while considering keeping proper hiking shoes upon you still while scaling!

Was It Worth It?

To be fair, was actually spending 2 days, one overnight actually amazing when trekking through Chiang Mai via managed tour, pretty solid proposition for travelers who appreciate stepping away hurried tourist stops rather focusing instead appreciating slowing rhythms among natures along towns. So for under ฿3000/person after considering operator choices appropriately focusing positive influence local contexts versus solely seeking discount options possible delivers quite solid experiential trade value compared many fleeting moments just bought at generic marketplaces throughout SE Asian countries seemingly catered mainly visitors. You’re likely learning many insights throughout interactions happening amongst actual communities there in ways you do not get while hopping right over resort perimeters alone throughout holidays generally planned usually elsewhere indeed…

Tips for Your Own Chiang Mai Trek

Here, these are tips as I think, and would actually help whenever arranging a trekking outing by you guys as planned around parts among Chiang Mai…

• Pick out good hiking outfits: Support village benefit schemes for fair trading!
• Think properly what stuff works for hiking across tropical hills: Durable shoes actually work better more regularly always for real. Plus repellent is quite sensible for bug troubles constantly buzzing from forests everywhere seemingly too unfortunately – apply again now & often please, naturally!.
• Communicate respectfully beside folk from hill area while exploring regions locally among guides beside translators while required sometimes: Open willingness towards culture bridges divides naturally quicker plus develops shared regards through respect plus attention rather dismissiveness always everywhere overall… basically be interested too genuinely beside nice even wherever different cultures get presented by folk locally for anyone involved indeed please alright?!.

Other Relevant Trekking Packages Around Chiang Mai

So, here a shortlist that gives suggestions, possibly giving you direction for selecting tours across areas around here; please refer below!